Why AI Fails Without Psychological Safety (and How to Fix It)

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Raj Verma, Chief Culture, Inclusion and Employee Experience Officer at Sanofi, to explore how culture, trust and co-creation became the foundation of one of the most ambitious AI transformations in the industry. Raj breaks down why culture is a verb, not a vibe, and how Sanofi intentionally shaped behaviors and values to support AI at scale.

He explains how Sanofi began its AI journey before the ChatGPT wave, driven by a visionary CEO and a bold ambition to become the first pharma company to use AI at scale. Raj details how recognition, inclusion, and data-driven insights became critical levers for building trust, strengthening decision-making, and ensuring AI adoption across 100,000+ employees worldwide.

The conversation also dives into psychological safety, bias detection, global recognition platforms, and why culture, inclusion and employee experience must be tightly integrated if companies want AI to stick and deliver real transformation.

🎓 In this episode, Raj discusses:

1. Embedding psychological safety so employees felt safe adopting AI
2. Leveraging global data to detect bias and guide leadership decisions
3. Co-creating culture, EX and inclusion practices to make transformation stick
4. Using recognition and belonging to strengthen performance and engagement
5. Starting Sanofi’s AI journey early and why culture had to be intentionally rebuilt

🙏‍ Thanks you to our series partner - Workhuman

Discover how to Build Human-Centred Workplaces which Thrive! → https://www.workhuman.com/resources/reports-guides/the-human-centred-workplace-building-organisational-cultures-that-thrive-emea/

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